GIS for Emergency Response

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management hosted a state-wide emergency management conference in mid-March, featuring presentations by emergency planners who have successfully used GIS (Geographic Information System) techniques to assist in planning for and responding to events such as flooding, a radiological event from a nuclear power station, hazmat incidents and search-and-rescue operations.  Check here to find the list of presentations, available from the state’s site in PDF format, and see some excellent examples of the use of technology to assist in emergency response.

Heritage Preservation says “Do one thing…”

Heritage Preservation is encouraging cultural institutions to observe May Day this year by reviewing our preparedness situations, starting with “Do one thing for emergency preparedness.” There are some good suggestions for all of us with regard to our disaster plans and preparedness activities, plus some information about classes and other resources available for use in planning. Check it out here: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TFlessons/MayDayInfo.html

Books as viral “agents”

So a coughing or sneezing patron leaves a book in the library’s bookdrop.  How long can the viruses that may be riding along on the book survive, possibly to be picked up by an unwary library worker or the next patron?  See the CDC’s Q & A on Preventing Seasonal Flu to find out!

Defusing the “Deceptive Killer”

Ready.gov is making available a wealth of information about preparation for and strategies for dealing with winter weather.  They have instructions about what to do if you’re trapped in your car during a blizzard, how to recognize and begin treatment for hypothermia, a list of supplies to have on hand at home “just in case.”  Winter storms are called “deceptive killers” because it is their side-effects, the peripheral damage, such as power outages and traffic accidents that cause the most deaths.  The info is helpful to know even if you don’t live in a winter-weather prone area; it might come in handy if you’re travelling, plus power-outages happen everywhere and any time!

HealthVault: Secure, Online Storage for Health Info

Microsoft has released a new software and services platform, HealthVault, to help people store and manage their health information online, as well as search for health information.  This looks like an excellent resource for use by people in disaster-prone areas, such as hurricane and tornado alleys.  Keeping health-related records “off-site” through a service such as HealthVault would enable people who are suddenly displaced to retrieve information about prescriptions, medical records, etc. from anywhere.  We know, from the lessons learned courtesy of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, that many people who were forced to evacuate were not able to remember the names of their medications in many cases, recalling only the color and the number of pills they usually took.

Could promoting this be a role for librarians, especially in hospital settings?

“Safe and Well” List

After a disaster, one of the first responses we all think of is to let our co-workers, friends and family know that we’re okay, and to check on them if they were affected by a disaster. The American Red Cross provides an excellent opportunity for this from their home page, free to everyone and easy to use. See their “Safe and Well” page.

Flu Season Preparation

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) has released a new edition of its preparedness toolkit which includes some excellent guidelines for creating a “continuity of operations” (COOP) plan in the event of a pandemic or epidemic. The site has links to directions for creating a manual, and worksheets to walk you through the planning process for service continuity. Take a look for some thought-provoking information for us to consider about keeping our essential services up and running if staff are out with the flu. Thanks, VDEM!

Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a specialized component of Citizen Corps, is composed of medical and public health professionals who voluntarily respond to emergencies, both natural and man-made. According to the MRC website, you may volunteer if you fall into one of the following categories:

• Practicing, retired, or otherwise employed medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, pharmacists, nurses’ assistants, and others.
• Public health professionals.
• Community members without medical training can assist with administrative and other essential support functions.
• United States citizenship is not required to be part of the MRC. Non-citizen, legal U.S. residents also are welcome to volunteer and contribute their time, knowledge, and skills to protecting and improving their communities.

Here’s a map of MRC units across the United States:

Here is a diagram of Citizen Corps and its units (click on image to enlarge):

Help in Emergency

Do you know about NVOAD?  It’s a coalition, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.  Their website lists a broad range of organizations, faith-based and otherwise, who provide disaster relief and many support services all over the world.  You can find contact information and links to the web pages for each organization.  Check your state’s listings to see whether there’s a group you can contact as a resource, or maybe you would like to volunteer to help out in your area.  There are also valuable resources listed from their Member Tools link and their Links link.  The more networking we can do, the better off we’ll all be in recovering from a disaster.

A good learning experience without the disaster…

Here’s an excellent web site from the Palmetto Archives, Libraries, and Museums Council on Preservation in South Carolina, where they know a thing or two about water damage, high humidity, and hurricane preparedness.  Click on their link to “Disaster Plan Template” to see a comprehensive, yet basic list of situations to consider in developing procedures for emergency response.  Great job, Palmetto planners!